


Red Hot Devil

by Laratjuhh



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: A tiny little bit of Ziam, AU, Louis is naked a lot, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 09:40:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3524459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laratjuhh/pseuds/Laratjuhh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Harry just moved into a new flat and Louis is the ridiculously handsome neighbour who likes to chill out naked on their shared balcony.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Hot Devil

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. I thought of this on Sunday evening and wrote it in two days and I'm really happy with it.  
> It's a one-shot, not very long, but I hope you enjoy it ;) Xxx

It was early. So early that Harry thought he was probably still asleep and just dreamed that his alarm went off. He didn’t want to open his eyes just yet, but he had to get up and go to work. His alarm was still screeching and it was getting on his nerves, so he reached around to turn it off. He groaned and sat up, flicking the light switch. Wow, too much light. He sighed when he looked at the time. Waking up at six on a Monday morning should be illegal.

He got up slowly, squinting his eyes at the light, and stumbled to the bathroom, still sleep drunk. After showering, which woke him up properly, he had breakfast and suddenly he heard stumbling next-door. Hmm, his neighbour must be home.

Harry had moved into his new flat a week ago. It had only taken him two days to get everything settled and he had met his other neighbour, who was a very nice and handsome man by the name of Zayn, but he hadn’t seen this neighbour yet. The one he shared a balcony with. Zayn had however assured him that Louis, as his name apparently was, was a nice bloke and that he would get on with him really well. Apparently Zayn and Louis were very good friends.

Harry vaguely wondered why Louis was making so much noise while getting up, but then maybe the walls were just thin. Or Louis was just loud. Maybe both. Harry grinned to himself and vowed he would go introduce himself in the afternoon when he got back from work.

Harry was a professional photographer and he had a fashion shoot scheduled this morning. It would probably only take a few hours, and in the afternoon he was free, only to have a private shoot in the evening. He took on all kinds of jobs, as he was still figuring out his preferences and trying to make a name for himself. He could afford to be selective once he’d established himself in the business.

When Harry came home at two in the afternoon he was happy and relaxed. The shoot had gone well and the people there had all been very friendly. Harry loved friendly people. He aspired to be one. He had even been able to flirt a bit with one of the models, a beautiful dark-skinned young man with prominent features. One of the reasons he secretly loved his job was that he met so many ridiculously attractive people.

Lost in thought he walked through his flat and out the back onto his balcony. Well, shared balcony. He didn’t pay attention and just walked up to the solid brick wall surrounding it to look out over the city. Or what he could see of it. He had chosen this flat mostly because of the view he had from here. He sighed happily and looked around.

When he looked a little more to his right, however, he almost had a heart attack. There was a man sitting, well, _lying_ , in a lounge chair, and he had obviously been reading a book, but now he was staring at Harry curiously. That was alright, of course, Harry suspected it was his neighbour Louis, but the man was _naked_. Also, he was absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous.

Harry stood there for a moment, barely breathing, until the man extended his hand to him and introduced himself as Louis Tomlinson. Louis didn’t get up but waited patiently for Harry to compose himself and walk up to him to shake his hand.

“Hi, Harry Styles. You’re… uhm… not exactly shy, are you?” Harry asked, grinning. Louis shook his head.

“No, unless you mind, of course. This is my relaxing place.”

“And you do that naked,” Harry stated.

Louis chuckled. “Yes. It’s liberating. You should try it sometime,” he said while waggling his eyebrows at Harry. Harry was sure he blushed a deep red.

“Yeah, maybe,” he said shyly. “So uhm, I’m your new neighbour. Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Louis said pleasantly. “So what do you do, Harry?”

Really? He was actually going to have a conversation with him while he was naked? Harry didn’t exactly mind, it was just extremely distracting. Louis was really fit and Harry had kind of a weak spot for fit people. Superficial, but hey, what was he going to do about it. Besides, so far Louis was really nice too. _Okay, just… try not to look down_ , Harry told himself.

“Uhm, ‘m a photographer. I take pictures.” _I take pictures_. So much for being coherent and smooth and not at all intimidated by the beauty sprawled out before him. He might as well have said that he carried a watermelon.

Louis raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, kinda guessed as much at ‘photographer’. Thanks for the explanation though, on the off chance that I was completely in the dark as to what a photographer was. Spared me the embarrassment of asking. Very considerate of you.”

Harry was sure that his cheeks coloured an even deeper red. He scraped his throat. “So what do you do, then?”

Louis pointed to his book. “’M a book and film reviewer. Do I explain…?” he trailed off, eyeing Harry questioningly, but with a hint of amusement in his eyes. 

“No, no, I get it, thanks,” Harry said half laughing. 

Louis eyed him up and down and Harry wished he could do the same without it being creepy. Louis would have to be wearing clothes first, though. 

“Zayn mentioned that he’d met our new neighbour, but he never said that you were so pretty,” Louis said. Harry didn’t know where to look, so he chose the ground. He couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his lips.

“Thanks. You too. I mean… that’s probably creepy and it would help if you weren’t naked, but, yeah.”

Louis looked pensive. “Why don’t you join me, Harry?” he asked, gesturing to the chair next to him. 

“Uhm, I actually have to go back inside to… uhm… make my bed and clean up and stuff…” Harry said.

Louis looked at him amusedly and Harry couldn’t help but let his eyes trail over Louis’ well shaped body as he looked up again. “Are you aroused?” Louis finally asked, sitting up straight. He sounded curious and entertained, but not judging Harry in the slightest. 

“No, just… flustered…,” Harry managed. “See you, Louis,” he said, before disappearing. 

“Liar!” he heard Louis shout after him and once inside, he broke down in nervous giggles. 

So this was Louis. This was who he had to live next to. He couldn’t say he wasn’t charmed, because Louis was very charming, but also very _in your face_. On top of that, Harry couldn’t figure out if Louis had been flirting with him or just taking the piss. He hoped it was the first.

In the next few days, Louis kept popping up in Harry’s thoughts. He didn’t see him in real life, but his fantasy just took the charming handsome man on the balcony and ran with it. He found himself torn between wanting to see Louis again, preferably naked, and furiously hoping he hadn’t embarrassed himself too much.

On Friday afternoon, Harry went out on the balcony to get his laundry, which had been drying there. He stepped outside and not two seconds later he heard a soft “Hi, curly,” from behind him. He turned around to greet Louis but forgot the words halfway through because of course, Louis was naked. 

“Uhm, hi,” he said eloquently. He turned back to his laundry and started taking it off the line.

“Too bad you’re taking that, I like the underpants with the little pink hearts. Also the blue ones with the yellow birds.” Louis said.

“Are you making fun of me?” Harry asked, turning back around and raising his eyebrows, daring him.

“No,” Louis said, smiling pleasantly. “I genuinely like them. They’re cute.”

Harry didn’t know what to say, so he finished what he came to do. Suddenly he thought of something.

“Well, I’d return the compliment, but since I have never seen _any_ of your clothes, I can’t.”

Louis laughed and cocked his head to the side. “Yeah, but you like this, don’t you?”

Louis’ eyes were piercingly blue and horribly alluring and Harry groaned in exasperation. “If I say yes, will you stop the suggestive remarks?” he asked.

“No,” Louis said. “You like them.”

He was right. Harry did like every word that came out of Louis’ mouth. And he also kind of liked that Louis knew exactly how attractive he was. The only thing he didn’t like was that he had no idea how to properly respond to it, without making a fool of himself.

Every time Harry encountered a naked Louis on the balcony, it frustrated him more. Louis teased him relentlessly but he alternated it with being extremely nice and charming, and honestly, Harry loved both. He hadn’t seen him dressed once, and he was constantly trying not to let it show how attracted he was to Louis. As if Louis didn’t know. Then again, maybe he was bluffing.

Harry’s crush on Louis got progressively worse. He started daydreaming about him whenever he got the chance, and one time he had a real dream about him, a wet dream. He woke up, completely hard, and jerked off to the thought of Louis. He’d thought that maybe later, when he’d properly woken up, he’d feel ashamed about it, but that feeling never came. That’s when Harry decided he would try and make a move on Louis. Ask him out, or something.

A few weeks after their first meeting, Harry found Louis asleep outside late in the evening. It was July, but at night the air still cooled considerably, and Harry thought he would probably get cold if he stayed there. He went outside to wake him, but he got distracted by his tan skin and sexy curves. Shit. Everything about Louis was fucking gorgeous, from his toes to his eyelashes. Even the few small tattoos on the inside of Louis’ right arm made his heart flutter. Harry felt arousal stir inside him and he was barely breathing, but then he remembered what he came to do.

“Louis?” he said softly, hoping he wasn’t sleeping deeply. No reaction. Harry gently shook Louis’ shoulder and said it a bit louder. “Louis!”

Louis’ eyelids fluttered open and Harry had never seen anything prettier. 

“Harry?” Louis asked, and he smiled when he saw him. “Was I asleep?”

“Yeah, I guess. Thought you might get cold out here, without any clothes on. Sorry I had to wake you, though.”

“’S alright. Come here,” Louis said sleepily, tugging Harry down onto his lap. Harry had no idea what was happening but he obliged and Louis put his arms around him and lay his head on Harry’s shoulder. 

“You’re warm. You should stay here with me so I don’t have to go inside,” Louis mumbled.

Harry laughed softly. “Think we’ll both get cold.” Without thinking, he pressed a soft kiss to the back of Louis’ head.

Louis sighed and let go of him, slapping Harry’s arse as he stood up from Louis’ lap. Harry gasped in pleasure, probably too loud to be inconspicuous.

“So did you have a good look before you woke me?” Louis asked innocently, looking at Harry’s obvious bulge and back up into his eyes. Louis grinned. “’S creepy, you know, staring at sleeping, naked men who aren’t your boyfriend.”

Harry narrowed his eyes. “You don’t seem to mind very much,” he said.

Louis got up and kissed his cheek before disappearing. “Thanks for waking me, curly. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Harry said vaguely, dazed. His fingers trailed over his cheek lightly, trying to find some evidence that Louis’ lips had been there. It took him a few minutes to remember to go back inside.

The next day Louis invited Harry for a party at his, that same evening, and Harry gladly accepted. Maybe then Louis would be clothed, and Harry could hold a conversation with him without feeling weird. Perhaps he could even make his move tonight and ask him out. Even though the prospect made him jittery with nerves, Harry was looking forward to it.

When he got to the party, Louis opened the door frowning.

“Why did you come to the front door? You’re so weird, you know.”

“Uhm, thought it’d be more polite. I’ve never actually been to your flat, so… You look good in clothes, by the way,” Harry said.

Louis ducked forward to kiss his cheek again, effectively shutting Harry up. God, Louis was a menace. He knew just what to do to push Harry’s buttons, and Harry couldn’t say he minded very much. It’s just that he was afraid that Louis was doing it for shits and giggles and this pathetic crush would never go anywhere. Hopeless.

Louis stepped aside so Harry could come in, and Harry found about twenty people sitting in the living room. Zayn was there, too, with his arms wrapped tightly around another boy, presumably his boyfriend. Harry was introduced by Louis as the ‘charming, pretty lad next door’, which he didn’t object to. Louis sat down to talk animatedly with a blond kid, and Harry sat down on the blond boy’s other side. 

The boy’s name was Niall, and he was overly friendly with Louis. Harry was _not_ jealous. He was not. Just… Niall was constantly touching Louis and flirting with him and Harry wished he had the boldness to do that. Okay, so maybe he was a little jealous. When Niall and Louis broke out in a tickle fight, lying on top of each other, Harry just felt uneasy. Were they dating? 

Harry thought it couldn’t hurt to ask, so when Louis got up to put on some more danceable music, Harry went for it.

“So, Niall, are you Louis’ boyfriend?” he asked tentatively, uncertainty lacing his voice.

“You’re not a homophobe, are ya?” he asked.

“No, not at all, it’s just... I didn’t know he was gay, or that he had a boyfriend.” Harry tried to sound like he didn’t care either way. He wasn’t very successful.

“Well you better not be because you’re living in between two of the gayest men I know. I don’t think either of them ever laid eyes on a girl, ‘m telling ya.”

“Really, it’s more than okay with me. I’m… never mind.”

“You’re what?” Louis suddenly asked, and Harry jumped.

“Nothing. I’ll leave you two alone now.”

Harry got up and started dancing with random people, chatting animatedly and trying to have a good time. The only thing bringing him down was the fact that Louis had a boyfriend, and one he looked properly in love with too. Harry’s heart felt heavier and heavier as the night dragged on, and after spending some time talking to Zayn and his boyfriend Liam and trying to appear cheerful to them, Harry went home. 

He hadn’t known his crush on Louis was that severe, but apparently it was, and he really couldn’t take this news. He felt sad all the time and couldn’t get past the idea of Louis and Niall. He’d thought he’d stood a chance, before Niall dropped that one on him. He even cried a few times, vainly wishing Louis could be his.

For the next two weeks, Harry avoided the balcony and wished he wouldn’t see Louis as he left and entered his flat. Luckily, he didn’t. Maybe if he didn’t see Louis for a considerate amount of time, he’d get over his stupid crush and eventually he’d be able to face him again. Maybe. 

Then, one afternoon in the beginning of August, he heard a knock on his balcony door window. Involuntarily, he looked up, and as he was facing that particular window it wouldn’t make any sense to run or refuse to open up. Harry sighed and walked to the door, to open it for Louis. At least he’d had the decency to put on sweats and a t-shirt.

“Hi,” Louis said, trying to read Harry’s expression.

“Hi,” Harry answered, trying not to look the way he felt.

“Why haven’t I seen you in weeks? I thought you were sick or summat, and it took so long that I was getting worried, but clearly you’re fine. Are you avoiding me? Have I done something wrong?”

“I’ve just been busy,” Harry said curtly. 

“That’s bull and you know it. You were busy before. I haven’t seen you since my party. What happened there?”

Louis really did seem worried. Harry couldn’t blame him, but then again he also didn’t really need to explain himself to Louis, now did he? Louis was just his neighbour, and nothing more. Sadly. Seeing him here made Harry’s head spin. Those few weeks had done nothing to erase any of the feelings he had. If anything, they’d just returned stronger.

“It’s not because Niall told you I’m gay, is it? ‘Cause if that’s the case then fuck you.”

Harry groaned. “No! That’s perfectly fine! For fuck’s sake, there’s nothing wrong. I’ve been busy and caught up lately. Jesus Christ, Louis, I’m gay too. Thought you knew that, by the way. Who am I to judge you for the same fucking thing?”

So that was out there. He had never thought he’d come out to Louis half screaming, but then again he never thought it would be necessary to come out to him. He thought Louis knew he was gay. Hell, before that stupid party he’d thought Louis had liked him back. Louis was dumbfounded for a moment, but then the fucking sun broke through on his face. Harry was completely done for; Louis was too beautiful. However painful, this wasn’t going to go away just like that.

“You’re gay?”

“Yes, I’m gay.” _And I fall for idiot boys who think I’m a homophobe after successfully turning me on on several occasions_ , Harry thought.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No, I don’t.” _I wish you were my boyfriend_.

“Good.”

“Why the fuck do you care?” Harry was getting mad now.

Louis just shrugged. “So you’re not avoiding me?”

“No,” Harry lied as convincingly as he could. Louis seemed to buy it.

“Then will you come sit outside with me?” he asked, sweetly now. “I’ve missed you.” He was fucking batting his eyelashes, and however busy Harry had been, he knew he was going to say yes.

“I was working on some photos, actually. I guess they can wait a few hours, though. But, since you’re here anyway, why don’t we just sit here?”

“That’s good too,” Louis said, and he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

“Want some tea?” Harry asked, and Louis nodded. Harry made them tea and they sat down on the couch, one in either corner, legs tangled up in the middle. They talked for hours like that, only getting up occasionally to get a refill on the tea or for an inevitable wee. Harry didn’t want to stop talking to Louis, but he also didn’t want to fall any harder for a boy who was taken. Although it was probably too late for that. Every word Louis spoke made Harry swoon and every time he moved and brushed Harry’s legs, he felt hot all over.

Harry caught himself staring at Louis’ lips a few times, but Louis didn’t seem to notice. He contemplated creeping closer or making an even bolder move, but then decided against it. He shouldn’t come on to someone who was taken, no matter how much he wanted to. 

When Louis declared he was getting hungry, Harry thought for a moment. So far Louis hadn’t brought up Niall and he didn’t look like he was expected home. It wasn’t wrong to spend time with your neighbour, right? They could eat together without Harry crossing some ethical boundaries.

Harry suggested they order pizza, as neither of them was in the mood to do anything like cooking, and Louis gladly agreed. He even got up on his knees to lean forward and kiss Harry’s cheek again. Harry tried to hide his rather obvious blush with his long curls as he made the phone call, pointedly ignoring Louis’ curious stare.

As the night dragged on, Harry let himself relax. In the end, they weren’t doing anything friends wouldn’t do, and if Louis thought anything was up, he didn’t show it. After eating their pizzas they curled up in the same corner of the couch and Harry let Louis play with his hair. Maybe this would hurt later, maybe it wouldn’t, but he wanted to cherish this moment of intimacy with Louis.

They fell silent for a moment, and Harry closed his eyes. Suddenly he was overcome by the saddening thought that he couldn’t have this for real. He could have this moment, but not this life. Life with Louis. Because Louis was with Niall. Harry was so gone for this boy, and there was nothing he could do about it. He tried to stop it, but to no avail. He let out a few tears, hoping that if he kept quiet Louis wouldn’t notice. He did, though. Of course he did.

“Hey, curly, why are you crying? What’s wrong?”

Harry opened his eyes to look at him.

“Uhm, nothing,” he said, but since he sounded choked it probably wasn’t very convincing.

Louis wiped the tears from his cheeks with his thumbs and he looked properly worried. 

“If you want to talk about it, I’m here, you know,” Louis told him earnestly.

“Thanks, but I really can’t. It’s silly anyway,” Harry said.

“No, if it’s making you upset it’s not. Means you care about it. What can I do to cheer you up?”

Harry smiled. “I’m okay, really, I’m fine. No one was supposed to see this. I’ll get over it.”

“What happened then, darling? Please tell me, I hate to see you hurt like this,” Louis said, and Harry shuddered at the term of endearment. 

“I really don’t want to talk about it, Lou, sorry. I promise you that I’m okay.”

Louis still looked concerned, but he believed him. Louis changed the subject and they continued talking until Harry’s eyes started to droop. He fell asleep curled up against Louis and he didn’t wake up until he was being placed in his own bed by Louis’ strong hands. 

“Did I fall asleep?” he asked.

“Yeah, but you looked very cute. Thought I should probably tuck you in, though.” Louis was smiling down at him endeared, and Harry smiled bashfully.

“Thank you.”

“Are you all right though? I mean… I can stay if you want?” Louis asked uncertainly, biting his lip. Harry internally groaned. So much for being ethical, because there was no way in hell he would decline that offer.

“If you don’t mind. Yeah.”

Louis smiled. “Kay. Be right back, just going to lock my doors. I’ll lock yours too, okay?”

Harry nodded and when Louis left he quickly undressed and put on a clean t-shirt to sleep in. When Louis came back into his bedroom, he was already half asleep. He felt Louis crawl in behind him and at first he tentatively just put a hand on Harry’s side, but as soon as Harry put his hand on top of his, he curled up against Harry’s back completely. Harry was too tired and too pleased to protest. He fell asleep easily, pressed up against Louis’ chest, in the arms of the man he wanted but couldn’t have, holding his hand. Dreaming never hurt anybody.

When Harry opened his eyes the next morning, he looked directly into Louis’ piercingly blue ones. He quickly remembered everything from the previous day and his heartrate picked up. 

“Morning, beautiful!” Louis chirped brightly, brushing a hand through Harry’s curls. Yeah, letting him stay was definitely a bad idea. The urge to kiss Louis was there at all times, but now that his face was so close to his own and he could do it so easily… It took Harry all of his self-restraint not to do it, and there wasn’t much left after yesterday. Louis had very slowly broken down all the walls he’d build up around him after that rotten party.

“It’s so cute that you blush at every compliment you get,” Louis said laughing, and Harry smiled back at him. At least he was getting somewhere in regards to responding to Louis’ teasing adequately without ending up a stammering mess.

“Good morning to you too. Thank you for staying with me. ‘S nice, this, comforting.”

“Yeah, well, you looked like you could use some comfort. You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?” Louis asked.

“Yeah, thanks. Maybe I will.” Harry looked down at Louis’ lips and, realising his mistake as Louis’ lips parted slightly, he looked even further down, hoping to mask it.

“If there’s anything, _anything at all_ , you want off your chest, you know where to find me,” Louis pressed, creeping closer, and Harry looked back up reluctantly. It looked like Louis hadn’t noticed where his gaze had wandered to a moment ago. Harry nodded.

“I certainly do.”

“Well, I have to go, but please promise me I’ll see you later, curly?” Louis pleaded.

Harry sighed internally, wishing this wasn’t such an easy promise to make. He wished he was preoccupied with other things, but Louis had been right yesterday. However busy Harry was with his work, it never stopped him from seeking Louis’ company before. He’d certainly find the time to hang out with him if Louis so specifically asked him to.

“I will. Promise.”

“’Kay. Bye curly.” Louis tucked some of Harry’s curls behind his ear and pressed a kiss to his cheek, although it was quite close to the corner of his mouth and he lingered for a moment. Harry was so ready to pucker up and turn towards him to get a real kiss out of this mess, but Louis had already pulled away and he smiled at him.

“You really are pretty, you know. ‘M not just saying that to make you blush, although it’s a nice side effect.”

Yeah, Louis was a menace. He was out the door in seconds and Harry lay there scolding himself for not acting more quickly, before getting up. 

After mentally preparing himself for several hours, Harry met Louis out on the balcony that afternoon. He brought his laptop and they sat there, both working on their respective jobs, occasionally making jokes or remarks. 

Naked Louis wasn’t as distracting as Harry thought he might be while working. Harry actually did get caught up in his work enough to barely notice it after a while, and only when Louis shifted he’d trail his eyes over his body. Louis noticed, judging by his smirk, but he didn’t seem to care in the slightest. He probably enjoyed toying with Harry. Harry couldn’t really blame him, if he’d looked that good, he’d enjoy messing with others’ heads too, and Louis had no idea about Harry’s actual feelings for him.

After that, they did that almost every day. Whenever Harry wasn’t doing a shoot and it was sunny out, he’d go out on the balcony and Louis would usually be there, in all his naked glory, smiling and happy to see him. It made Harry’s heart flutter every time and he almost forgot that Louis was taken. He tentatively started flirting with him again, and much to Louis’ delight, it seemed. Sometimes he even dared to reach out and brush his fingertips over Louis’ skin, sometimes his arm, sometimes his leg, and Louis would grin like the fucking sun, making Harry’s heart melt over and over again.

Harry hadn’t thought about Niall’s existence in almost three full days, when he stepped outside to see Louis – naked – sitting in Niall’s lap. Harry was stunned for a moment, because fuck, Louis had a boyfriend, and Harry had all but forgotten about him, but now he was here and Harry really didn’t want to see them being all coupley, especially not if he could avoid it.

“Uhm, oh, I’m so sorry, I’ll uh, go. Sorry,” he stammered, and he only briefly met Louis’ eyes as he turned away, before going back inside. Blue eyes full of confusion. Harry shut the door, closed his eyes and sighed deeply. His took his laptop into his bedroom and crawled into his bed. He’d work in here today. 

Not half an hour later his doorbell rang. Harry wondered who it could be, because anyone who had the key to his building had the key to his front door too. He clumsily stumbled out of bed, reluctant to face anyone. He kind of just wanted to wallow in self-pity and not be disturbed by anybody. He’d been crying again and he didn’t want to be seen in this state.

Harry opened the door, and there was Louis. Dressed, or, well, there was something covering his genitals. That was about the extent of it. He was wearing pink panties and nothing else. _Why, Louis, why must you torment me like this_ , Harry thought, internally groaning.

“Louis? What are you doing here?” he asked, frowning. He was getting fed up with Louis’ little games now, he didn’t think this was funny in the slightest. The sight of Louis in those panties was turning him on and he _really_ didn’t need to add that to his misery.

“You ran off just like that, looking all distressed, and I had to check on you, see if you were okay. Why didn’t you just join us?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Harry. We sit out there every day working together. Please enlighten me as to why today would be any different?”

“Your boyfriend was there. Can’t just interrupt your time with him.”

“My… my boyfriend?” Louis said disbelievingly. “Do you mean Niall? He’s a charming lad but for fuck’s sake, Harry, he’s far from my boyfriend!”

“What do you… Are you sure?”

“Think I am, yeah, think I’d know if I had a boyfriend,” Louis said exasperatedly, shaking his head fondly at Harry. “Bloody idiot, you have no idea, do you?”

“Of what?” Harry was utterly confused now. Louis just took him by his hand and dragged him over to his place. Harry wanted to shut his own door but Louis stopped him. 

“Your key, Harry. Don’t want you locked out, now do we?” Harry hurried back to get his key, blushing furiously, and went over to Louis who was waiting for him in his own doorway. He followed him to the living room, where Niall was sitting. 

“Nialler, please tell this idiot that we’re not romantically involved.” Harry looked confused from one set of blue eyes to another pair but nothing made sense.

“We’re great friends, but that’s the extent of it, mate,” Niall assured Harry, cracking up. 

“But I asked you straight up if you were a couple, why didn’t you just say no, then?” Harry asked him.

Niall thought for a moment. “Oh! Yeah, at the moment I was more concerned about your attitude towards gay people than I was with you thinking Louis was dating me or vice versa.”

“Oh,” was all Harry could say to that. He’d felt horrible for weeks because of that. Because it made him believe that he had no chance whatsoever with Louis. Harry slowly sank down into a chair and tried to make sense of his feelings. Louis looked at him for a long time with an unreadable expression, before he said something.

“Harry,” he started hesitantly, and Harry looked up at him. “As far as I know, Niall’s straight. And I… I’ve been developing a huge crush, if not falling in love completely, with someone else entirely. A beautiful, curly, green-eyed lad who makes my heart skip a beat every time he looks at me and makes me want to hold and kiss him all the fucking time.” 

Louis looked so uncertain and uncomfortable, and Harry could only stare at him dumbfounded. Did Louis mean him? Did he return his feelings? Harry’s wide eyes were trained on Louis and he did not move at all. Louis slowly walked over to him.

“And I think, or, well, I hope,” Louis continued as he stopped right in front of Harry and extended a hand to him, “that he feels the same.” Harry took his hand without question but didn’t do anything else. 

“Do you?” Louis asked, so softly that Harry would have missed it if he hadn’t seen the movement on his lips. Without any warning he stood up and pressed his own lips to the ones that had spoken the words Harry had been wanting to hear for so long. Louis wanted him, just like he wanted Louis. All was right in the world. 

The tight knot that had formed in his chest over the past few weeks was suddenly gone, and replaced by butterflies, flying around erratically. Harry felt so happy he could burst, because he was finally kissing the boy he’d pined after for so fucking long.

“I do, fuck, yes, I do,” Harry breathed against Louis’ lips and the both of them smiled so wide that kissing became hard to do. They pulled apart and Niall applauded loudly.

“You wouldn’t believe how many times he’s talked about you, Harry. Thank god he doesn’t have to be sad about you anymore.”

“Sad?” Harry asked. “Why would you be sad?”

“Why had you just been crying?” Louis said. “I thought I couldn’t have you, that’s why.”

“Why on earth would you think that? Thought I was fucking obvious and you were playing with me.”

“I’d never! I knew you were heartbroken, I could see that much. Just didn’t know it was because of bloody Niall here misinforming you. Thought you were hung up on someone else.”

He shot Niall a death glare and Niall put up his hands in defence.

“I’m sorry! Didn’t know it was such a problem. Anyway, Harry, I have to be somewhere in ten minutes so don’t feel bad about me leaving now. Have fun, lads. Be safe.”

And with those words and a loud cackle, Niall left, and Harry was left alone with the boy he’d fallen in love with and who _apparently loved him right back_. The world could be amazing sometimes.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think, please ;) Xxx  
> If you want, come find me on tumblr (Laratjuhh) or twitter (Laravd_S) :)


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